SD Tech Week

Hardware Innovation: A Glimpse into the Maker Movement

Fab Lab San Diego is working with SD Tech Week to include a glimpse into the ‘Maker Movement’, with focus on bringing together software and hardware designers and developers.

With the emergence of do-it-yourself development around innovative technologies, we are seeing a local community of inventors in areas from personal manufacturing, 3D printing, and even medical device designers arise in San Diego. San Diego has a rich capability to provide an innovation and manufacturing regional hub, and we would like to showcase interesting and in-development products and projects related to hardware.

A panel of local hardware start-ups will present their pitch-ready products. A display space will also be available for a selection of early-stage projects and products developed by local inventors. This event will be a great opportunity to network with like-minded people in the areas of technology, innovation, and venture capital.

RoBo 3D Printer is the sexiest machine in desktop 3D printing. With its sleek look, affordability, substantial build volume, and amazing quality, it is designed to take a step in the right direction-bringing 3D printing to the masses…without breaking the bank. Using multiple different plastic materials, nylon, wood, and more, RoBo 3D printer will allow you to print in 3dimensions right in front of your very eyes. We stand for one thing: “Think Great. Create Great.” It’s that simple. Every day, we aim to make the user experience easier, diminish the learning curve for printing, and create a product that even your grandma could use.

FoneFill is a universal, battery-powered, portable, tabletop phone charger that allows restaurants, resorts, and service companies, that wish to increase customer satisfaction, provide a value added service. With no need for power outlets, consumers and employees can charge at any dinner table, bar, waiting room or conference room. Each unit can charge up to three devices, simultaneously, providing a great user experience to consumers. FoneFill chargers also stack-charge, allowing for easy use and deployment by staff.

The SandBox is bringing powder 3D printing to the masses, opening up a new range of printable materials. What you can make with it is only limited by your materials and imagination. The powder/binder printing method supports several off the shelf materials including cements, ceramics, wood, glass, sugar, and more. Powder build materials are the cheapest when compared to commercial FFM and SLA products, and are easy to self prepare. Powder printing holds potential to change lives for the better, and we want this to be available for all.

Together with partners from all over the world, we have developed and made available a set of kits for stepper motor drivers. There are a large number of small, cheap, low quality drivers available ready made from China, and a few large, very expensive, high quality drivers available here. Our drivers are bridging the gap, and starting to push up against the higher end of the market with open source hardware kits. In addition, our newest driver is able to work effectively with the popular motion control engines used in 3D printers. This gives us the opportunity to support makers who wish to build 3D printers with a print area bigger than the standard 6″ square.

And another machine is “coming to life” with our drivers which prints with cement. It’s about the size of a 2 car garage and is a demonstrator for a planned larger machine which could print a house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y33ZDSCRjg

We hope to find and work with the fringe of makers doing truly amazing things with CNC, 3D printing, or other medium to large size mechanics to enable robust motion at hobby costs and to promote education by teaching people that building electronics really isn’t that difficult.

Christy Oates is an emerging artist that combines traditional woodworking with digital technology. With a background in manufacturing, Christy uses computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs and computer numerical control (CNC) machines like laser cutters and CNC routers to create her work. She questions where the boundaries of art and manufacturing meet. She uses image manipulation algorithms to create laser marquetry as well as engineers folding processes in the wood furniture she builds. She has work in the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and founded a company called Digital Wood, which manufactures laser marquetry craft products.

Bill Watson’s work incorporates LED lighting that is controlled using customized high-speed networking technology and a computer. The color of each LED can be controlled individually at speeds that make complex patterns and color changes possible. Each node has circuitry that regulates the light output of the LEDs for precise color control, and is designed to operate in widely varying environmental conditions.

The cusPi is a Raspberry Pi Live Sound Synthesis instrument, essentially a Raspberry Pi, USB hub, USB audio Interface (Griffin iMic), Hardware SPI control interface, portable USB battery and USB powered amplifier all mounted to a unique piece of aromatic red cedar. The unit’s core is the Raspberry Pi, which boot-loads Raspbian, a Debian based Linux distribution compiled especially for Raspberry Pis. It automatically loads a Pure Data patch, and is set to automatically read the Hardware SPI pins on the Pi’s GPIO header to feed control data to PD.

DIY Aerial Robotics

Our quadcopter group is working on several initiatives as it relates to the maker movement. We have developed custom wood, carbon fiber and fiberglass frames that are made with 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC mills. We are working, customizing and programming Arduinos for our flight controllers. We are using radio control at several for control, video and data transmission. We are also developing video stabilization gimbals and LED light arrays. Also, we are working on developing methods to take our prototypes and turn them into production ready plans for short or large runs. We are also now the official San Diego chapter for the International Drone User Group with initiatives in Search and Rescue, FAA and legal regulations and lobbying. Check out his night flight video: https://twitter.com/EagleEyesFilms/statuses/334543101605588992

Nathan Boolean Trujillo

Do-it-Yourself CNC machines and a homebrew laser cutter in action!

Also, Robo 3D, FoneFill, James Newton, and the SandBox 3D Printer—all will join the Showcase section after their presentations.

This event will take place after the Venture Summit and before the Startup Weekend Alumni Bash.

Location/Date:

July 12, 2013
3:30-5:30pm
EvoNexus
101 W Broadway Ste 200 (2nd floor)
San Diego, CA 92101
Parking: We are located on the corner of Front and Broadway. Park in our parking lot, bring your parking ticket and EvoNexus will validate. We’re located on the 2nd floor.